Dreams of Italy
by khahleesi
Summary: AU: Elena and Caroline set off to Italy as part of their foreign exchange student program, wanting to leave the boring life of Mystic Falls behind. Will they be able to find the excitement they are looking for in this foreign country?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing. 

* * *

**Mystic Falls, June 17th**

"Caroline, for god's sake, would you hurry up already? We're going to miss our flight!", Elena shouted from down the stairs, pacing back and forth in the hallway of the Forbes residence. They were supposed to leave for the airport twenty minutes ago, causing Elena to grow more impatient by the second.

"I can't find my curling iron! I am not leaving without it!", Caroline yelled back, her tone of voice sounding particularly agitated.

"You've got to be joking," Elena murmured under her breath, she allowed herself to let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter Care, we'll buy a new one when we get there, just come on, we're late already!"  
It stayed quiet for a few seconds. Elena had lost count at how many times she sighed and rolled her eyes, and figured she'd just go upstairs to get her. Before she could, she heard the blonde let out an irritated growl as she grabbed her suitcases and made her way downstairs. Jeremy and Bonnie couldn't help but laugh a little, it was just so typically Caroline, she wouldn't go anywhere without her hair looking absolutely flawless.

Today was the day Elena and Caroline would leave for Italy as exchange students. They decided, after having spent their whole lives in Mystic Falls, not counting the year at Whitmore College, it was time for them to go out and see the world, starting in Europe. Originally Bonnie would come along with them, but her grams became gravely ill and she wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, before it was too late. As upset as the other two girls were about the fact that Bonnie wouldn't get to experience this with them, they understood where she was coming from. They would feel horrible if something happened to her grams while she was overseas.

Caroline's mood changed almost instantly from peeved to joyous when she saw how Elena was jumping up and down from excitement, causing her to smile and run up to the giggly brunette to hug her tightly.

"We still have to get to the airport, so we better get going, right now." Jeremy stated as he walked past the two hugging girls to grab the suitcases and walk them to his car.

The car ride to the airport was, loud, as Jeremy would describe it, but it couldn't make him happier to see, or rather, hear his sister sing her heart out from excitement with the other two girls, though completely off key, he enjoyed listening to them. Even Bonnie participated, despite being sad she had to miss her friends for such a long time, it couldn't make her more happy to see her friends going off on this incredible journey. 

* * *

**Richmond International Airport, Virginia**

Silence slowly fell upon arriving at the airport, the feeling of leaving Virginia behind became more real by the second. Elena felt a rush of anxiety flowing through her body and swallowed hard. This was it, she was actually going to do this.  
She opened the car door and stepped outside, while running her fingers through her hair she let out a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.

"Hey, are you okay?" Caroline asked as she stepped out of the car and reached out for Elena's arm.

"Y-Yeah, yeah I'm fine, it's just... I can't believe this is really happening, you know? We're actually going to Europe and I'm so excited, I really am, but I can't help but feel scared as well."

A soft smile appeared on Caroline's face, and she pulled Elena into a hug, reassuring her that it was going to be okay, even admitting she was a little scared to leave everything behind as well.

Having unloaded the suitcases from the trunk of the car and making sure both girls had their passports and plane tickets ready, the time to say goodbye was upon them. Bonnie was blinking uncontrollably, trying to keep her tears from flowing, but failed, which caused the other two girls to start bawling their eyes out as well. Even Jeremy had a few tears running down his cheeks.

"You two be safe, okay? And you better call me at least every day!" Bonnie said, pointing her finger firmly at them.

Elena chuckled through her tears, "We will, and you keep an eye on Jer for me okay? And call me the minute he hurts you in any way so I can kick his shins."

She turned to look at Jeremy, and gave him a look that screamed 'I mean it', a look that Jeremy knows all too well, before walking up to him to give him a hug.

"You know I won't hurt her. Just like I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, I love you sis."

Hearing those words, Elena felt a huge weight fall off her shoulders. Sure, she knows Jeremy loves her and would do anything for her, but hearing him say it always makes her feel better, and she definitely needed to hear it at that moment. Her remaining anxiety washed away, as if she had never had it in the first place.

"I love you too, Jer. I'm going to miss you, both of you."

She waited until Caroline was done saying goodbye, and grabbed her suitcases. Before they walked off into the airport, she looked back at the couple and smiled when she noticed how Bonnie's head was resting on Jeremy's shoulder and how Jeremy had his arm around her waist. It was still weird for her to see how her little brother was dating her best friend, but she was happy for them.

"So, what is the first thing you want to do when we get to Rome?! We should definitely go to the beach, and oh my god! We _have_ to go babe spotting, seeing as we're both single now!"

Elena couldn't help but laugh at how silly Caroline was acting, it was as if she was a little girl who just got the pony she always wanted for her birthday.

"Care, there is no beach in Rome, and I don't know about that, Matt only just broke up with me."

The cheerful smile which was resting on Elena's face faded upon mentioning Matt. She was clearly not over him, granted, it has only been what, 3 weeks since they broke up? That didn't mean Elena couldn't have any fun, and Caroline was all about making sure Elena loosened up a bit on this trip.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, I know, but come on! You're allowed to have some fun!" the blonde asserted, "I mean, seriously, if Matt is having fun with that dumb slut Nadia, why on earth would you forbid yourself to have some fun with a _very_ hot Italian guy?!"

She had a point, all Elena did was blame herself for how their relationship ended, while it was Matt who cheated on her, and she wouldn't allow herself to have any fun because she would feel guilty about it. Caroline may be a bit too forward at times, but the way she made her point always put a smile on Elena's face, and she knew she was right.

"Alright then, babe spotting it is," Elena couldn't help but form a little smirk on her face, "I guess I am allowed to have some fun with a hot Italian guy."

Pleased with herself, Caroline wrapped her arm in Elena's and squealed with excitement. "This is going to be an _amazing_ year!" 

* * *

**Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, Rome, Italy**

It was just before 11 PM when the two college students arrived in Rome, despite being extremely tired from the flight, they would still go through with the plans they made whilst on the plane, to explore the city a little after dropping off their luggage at their new apartment.

Breathing in the warm Italian air, they looked around them as they walked out of the airport, Elena had to pinch herself to see if it was real, she still couldn't believe she set foot on European grounds for the first time in her life, while Caroline couldn't take off the huge smile glued on her face.

Caroline started walking faster towards the only available taxi, telling Elena to hurry before someone else would take it. She fastened her pace to keep up with her, which wasn't really working considering she was strolling two heavy suitcases behind her. The blonde started running and calling upon the taxi driver, hoping the man would keep the cab free for them. He noticed them and waved them over, saying something in Italian. After taking care of their luggage, they got in the car and Elena told the man where they needed to go, trying her absolute best to pronounce the address correctly, but failing miserably.

"Aha, Americans! Welcome to Roma!", the man said, wearing a thick Italian accent.

The cab ride from the airport to the apartment, which was located in the centre of Rome, took a little over half an hour. Passing a couple of landmarks, including the Colosseum, left both girls in awe. Not much was said, leaving the car filled with mostly the sound of the muffled traffic and occasionally people speaking in Italian on the radio in between playing the latest pop music.

Normally they would have stayed with the other exchange students, who would arrive a week later than they had, but Caroline insisted on renting their own place, close to both the city centre and the university. Elena loved the idea, but argued with her about how they wouldn't be able to afford such luxury, even though having worked for a full two years all while graduating high school and going off to college. That money was mostly spent on paying for the exchange year and saved for necessities such as food and household supplies. Luckily a small scholarship covered most of the costs, but there was no way they could afford a place of their own, or so she thought. 

* * *

_**Gilbert Residence, June 1st**_

_"I already got us an apartment!" Caroline said as she clapped her hands together from excitement._

_Elena, who was sitting on the couch opposite of her, narrowed her eyes out of confusion._  
_"What do you mean, you already got us an apartment?" she asked, not quite sure if she heard that correctly._

_"Like I said! A few weeks ago I looked at a few places online that weren't too pricy and would suit our needs, and my dad and your aunt took care of the rest."_

_"Are you serious?" Elena brought her hands up to cover her mouth, unable to believe what she had just heard._

_ "It was Jenna's idea. She thought it would be good for us, so when I told my dad about it, he wouldn't have it, he didn't want her to pay for it by herself, so they came to an agreement, and split the costs!"_

_"We... Why didn't you tell me?!" _

_Caroline walked towards the couch and sat down next to her friend, "Well, at first I wasn't going to tell you anything about it until we arrived there, because I wanted it to be this huge surprise, but then this crap with Matt happened and I just hated to see you being so sad all the time, which by the way brings my mood down, too. So...Surprise!"_

_So that's why she brought up the subject, Elena was definitely surprised, but she was even more surprised how Caroline could keep this a secret for so long. Thrilled about the fact that they now had a place all for themselves, she threw her arms around Caroline and pulled her into a hug so tight, she almost suffocated her friend. _

_"Thank you, Care," she said, her voice sounding as if she was about to cry from happiness, "You're the best."  
_

* * *

__AN: Phew! First time actually writing down a story I've thought of, I honestly can't wait to write out everything.  
I'm having so much fun with it, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it :)


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing.

* * *

After dropping off their luggage and having a quick look at their new home, the two girls made their way into the centre of Rome, keeping their eyes out for a cool bar where they could drink to celebrate. One of the perks of Europe, they thought, they didn't have to wait another year to consume alcoholic beverages.

The warm summer breeze kissed their bare arms and legs, the rush of the city's nightlife, the myriad of voices echoing, the sound of muffled music coming from different places, and the reflecting lights caused their pulse to rise and eyes to shine bright.  
They had never truly experienced something so vibrant, the only nightlife they had back home was the occasional house party or town event. This made them feel.. Alive.

The square they were exploring was filled with bars, a couple of restaurants, and a few small cafes. Many different kinds of people were roaming about, from adolescents to students, to even middle aged people. There was one place that stood out from the rest, it was exactly what they were looking for; crowded, but not to the point where you would have to squeeze your way to the bar, good music, and good looking guys.

"Hey," Elena pulled on Caroline's arm to get her attention, "that place looks nice, don't you think?"

Caroline turned her head to where her friend was pointing, judging the bar for a second before agreeing with Elena.  
Smiling widely, she grabbed her friend's arm and started walking towards the place. 

* * *

"Why exactly are we here, Damon?" Stefan asked, staring at his glass, which had a small sip of bourbon left in it.

"Because I just _love_ spending time with my baby brother." Damon answered sarcastically.

"Yeah, because we always enjoy each others company so much," Stefan rolled his eyes, "Someone owes you money, right?"

Damon let out a deep sigh and grabbed his drink, swallowing the content of the glass in one go.  
"All right, all right, you got me. Yeah, someone owes me money." He admitted.

Stefan clenched his teeth, he was disappointed. He knew he shouldn't ever expect anything from Damon, but still he hoped there was something of what used to be his brother left in him.  
They used to be close, when they were still kids, and not yet introduced to what the Salvatore family name really meant. Once Damon was old enough to learn everything about the family business, he slowly started growing more and more detached, eventually his only care in the world being money, just like the rest of his family.

There was one thing he didn't understand, though. Damon always took care of his business by himself, why would he bring him along with him now?

"So, why do you need me? You know I don't want any part of it, not anymore."

"Because," Damon started, carefully choosing his next words, "I actually did want to hang out with you for once. Keep an eye on you. Happy now?"

Just as Stefan thought his brother would actually be able to say something sincere, Damon ruined it by adding the last two words to the sentence and giving him yet again a sarcastic smile. Oh well, it was a start, he thought.

"All right," Stefan said, "I'll take it. You want another drink?"

Damon nodded, gesturing to his empty glass noting he wanted another bourbon.

As Stefan stood up from the couch and made his way to the bar, Damon actually cringed upon thinking what he had just said. _Really, Damon? _This was a horrible idea. He should've never brought Stefan along with him, emotions only made things complicated.

His thoughts faded swiftly as he saw two girls enter the bar. He didn't recognize them, seeing as this was his go to bar, which surely meant they weren't from around here. Damon kept an eye on them as they headed towards the bar. One of them was breathtakingly beautiful, leaving him mesmerized for a moment. The other girl was pretty, too, but he had never seen anyone quite like her before.

Just before he wanted to get up to approach them, Stefan returned with his bourbon, noticing how Damon was checking the girls out.

"Hey, brother, I think it's time that we should have some fun." Damon raised his eyebrows, a smirk appeared on his face. He accepted the drink Stefan handed him, not taking his eyes off of the two girls.

"What? No way, you know I'm with Katerina."

Katerina. Ugh. Damon's expression turned to disgust, he never liked that girl. She was a manipulative bitch and he couldn't understand what his brother saw in her. 

* * *

"Oh my god," Caroline said as she moved closer to Elena, "those guys sitting there are totally checking us out!"

Elena slowly turned her head to see which guys her friend was talking about, and as she spotted them, one of them winked at her, causing her to quickly turn her head back to Caroline.

"One of them winked at me, I think they're coming over here." she said, her eyes widening.  
Her heart started beating faster, she was so not used to this, she didn't even know how to flirt anymore. The last time she did was when she had a crush on Matt, which was four years ago. To make things worse, the guy who winked at her was gorgeous. She was so going to screw this up.

_Just act casual, _she thought. _Remember to breathe and you'll be fine. _

The girls were startled for a second when they each felt an arm resting on their shoulder. The guy who winked at Elena, was standing between them. The other guy settled for a barstool next to Caroline, waving the bartender over.

"Buonasera, ladies," the guy said, he was wearing a slight Italian accent, "can I get you anything to drink?"

The two girls looked at each other for a split second, Elena slightly opened her mouth to say 'No thanks', but was quickly interrupted by Caroline who, of course, said "We'd love to!"

He turned to look at Stefan, gesturing to order two drinks by holding up two fingers. His attention turned to Elena, he studied her for a moment before introducing himself to both girls.

"I'm Damon, that is my brother Stefan, and who might you lovely ladies be?"

He was charming, no doubt about that, also gorgeous and he smelled extremely nice. Most likely a douchebag as well, Elena thought as she observed Damon.

"I'm Caroline, and this is Elena." Caroline said, as she snapped her fingers in front of Elena's face. She promptly snapped out of her train of thoughts and smiled at Damon, who had noticed she was observing him. The corner of his mouth curled upwards and he winked at her.

It wasn't her fault that he had these incredible cerulean eyes you could easily drown in, if he would have looked at Caroline as long as he looked at her, she would have found herself in the same position, possibly even worse, she'd be drooling all over him.

After a few drinks, a lot of laughter and sharing stories, including the one explaining why they're in Rome, Damon detected his client had arrived. He excused himself and walked up to the stranger, motioning him to go outside.

"That was.. weird." Elena noted, taking another sip of her 4th cocktail. After putting it down, she looked at it and started using the straw to play with the icecubes floating in her drink.

"Excuse me, I'm gonna have to go see what Damon's doing." Stefan quickly followed after his brother, knowing all too well what he was doing.

Elena started to feel tired, remembering that she hadn't slept in almost 20 hours. Well, she had slept for a bit on the plane, but she soon figured out that only made her more tired.

"Care, look! This drink, it's as blue as Damon's eyes. See?" She held up the drink and started waving it in front of Caroline's face.

"Yeah, you've definitely had enough." The blonde said, taking the drink from her friend's hand and placing it on the bar, away from her. 

* * *

"I warned you multiple times, you better give me my money!" Damon growled as he grabbed the unknown guy by his collar and threw him against the wall.

"I'm sorry, I promise I'll get it! Please, just let me go!" The guy pleaded.

As Stefan sneaked around the corner to see what was going on, he focused on the stone cold look in Damon's eyes, it was so cold, he could practically smell the bloodlust.  
Damon had never killed someone before, but the way he was staring at this guy, the fury and adrenaline flowing through his blood, he knew this wasn't good. He had to step in before someone got hurt.

"Damon!" he yelled, "Please, brother, you don't have to do this."

Damon tilted his head, "Really, Stefan? I don't have to do this?"  
He slowly let go of the guy, before turning to look at his brother, "This guy," he said, tapping the stranger's chest with his index finger, turning back to look at him, his eyes widening and filling with rage, "owes me 2 grand, so yes, Stefan, I _have_ to do this."  
Damon laughingly stroked his face, he felt the blood pumping through his veins as he bawled his fist and punched the guy right on the nose.

Shocked, Stefan ran up to his brother, who was letting out all of his rage by bashing the stranger's face in, trying to pull him off of him. While struggling to keep his brother still, he received an elbow in the face, causing him to flinch and let go. The stranger, who was bleeding heavily from his injuries, quickly ran off to escape the situation he had found himself in. Before Damon could chase after him, Stefan tackled him, making sure he wouldn't.

"Hey!" he yelled, pinning Damon's arms down on the ground, "Snap out of it, brother!" 

* * *

"They _so_ left us." Elena muttered, placing her elbow on the bar so she could rest her head in her hand.

"I'm not so sure about that." Caroline said, her eyes moving towards the bar's entrance.  
Elena turned her head to see the two brothers heading back to where they were sitting. They didn't look as enthusiastic as they did fifteen minutes ago.

"We're sorry for just leaving you here by yourselves," Stefan said, "but something happened, and it's probably best if we head home."

"That's all right," Elena said smilingly, "we were just about to leave as well."

She tilted her head slightly to get a look at Damon, who was standing just behind Stefan, studying his body language and facial expression she could see that something wasn't right. He looked extremely angry, could he have possibly gotten into a fight or something? She wasn't sure, but the vibe he gave off left her slightly confused.  
Damon caught her staring at him and he couldn't help but smile a little at her. What was it about this girl? He had only just met her and he was already intrigued by her. This wasn't what happened to him, usually he'd meet a girl at a bar, buy her a drink and take her home with him to fuck her senseless, but this was different. He didn't just want to fuck her, he wanted to get to know her.

Realizing what he was thinking, he forced himself to snap out of it, this wasn't him. This couldn't happen, not now, not ever. He was right before, emotions just made matters worse. 

* * *

**Forbes & Gilbert residence, Rome, Italy**

"I'm sleeping next to you tonight, whether you like it or not!" Caroline yelled from the bathroom while cleaning off her makeup.

After changing into her pajamas, Elena threw herself onto the queensized bed, in what she had decided to be her room for the next year. She found herself thinking about Damon, wondering if she'd ever see him again. He did seem interested in her, but who was she kidding, as if he wasn't interested in any other girl he'd met at a bar. He probably just wanted to screw her.

Caroline dried off her face and tied her hair in a messy bun as she walked to Elena's room.

"Okay, first of all, he was _so_ into you." She said, taking off her high waisted shorts and changing into her pajama pants.

Elena couldn't help but get a warm feeling when her friend said that, though also thinking it was probably the alcohol she consumed.  
"Yeah, so into getting in my pants." She added, shrugging off the possibilty of there being any truth to Caroline's statement.

"Even so, would you really mind?" the blonde asked, raising her eyebrows.  
Would she really mind? No. She did want to have some fun while being here, and he would be a good distraction from Matt, but it wasn't like she would see him again.

"I'm really tired, we'll have a detailed discussion about this tomorrow, okay?" Elena mumbled, feeling herself doze off.

"Okay. Goodnight 'Lena."

"Night, Care." 

* * *

AN: And chapter 2! I was so excited about writing the brothers into this chapter!  
I have a lot of cool ideas I want to include in their storyline, so I can only hope you'll like it as well :)  
(And yay for Delena!)


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing.****

* * *

**June 24th, Forbes & Gilbert residence**

Indistinct singing could be heard from the bathroom. Caroline always sang in the shower, it didn't matter if it was in the middle of the night while everyone was asleep. If it wasn't for her pretty voice, Elena certainly would have cut out her vocal cords a long time ago.

It had been exactly a week since the night they met Stefan and Damon, and they hadn't heard from them since. Granted, they didn't exchange phone numbers, they never told them where they stayed, neither did they arrange to meet again, leaving no reason to be surprised.

After applying the last few coats of mascara on her eyelashes, Elena ran her fingers through her wavy hair and stood up from her chair, which was placed in front of her new desk, to walk to her closet to pick out her outfit for today.  
Feeling a little edgy, she went for her semi high waisted black shorts, a plain white top, and a black leather jacket paired with her black, high cut Chuck Taylors.

The rest of the exchange students arrived yesterday and they had to meet up with the entire group this afternoon as part of their introduction. Luckily, they weren't the only people who had arrived before the rest of the group, when the girls went out for lunch two days earlier, they had met two guys who happened to be on the same exchange program.

Tyler and Mason Lockwood, cousins, who were both from Virginia as well. At first glance they seemed like nice guys. Caroline particularly took an interest in Tyler, ever since they met she couldn't stop blabbing about him. _He's just so gorgeous! _She'd say, and Elena couldn't deny that, he was good looking, and so was Mason, though she got the feeling she shouldn't trust him.  
Her friend would keep suggesting how they should _totally_ hang out together, but Elena was just glad they didn't have to go to the group meeting by themselves. 

"So, I was thinking," Caroline hastened to say, "before we go meet up with Tyler and Mason, we should rent a scooter!" 

Elena's confusion led to her narrowing her eyes and giving her friend a half smile, "A scooter?" 

"Oh come on! We need some sort of transportation and this just seems a lot more convenient than a car," the blonde started explaining herself, "and besides, it would be so much fun!" 

Caroline detected a wide smile starting to form on her friend's face as she considered it for a moment. Seeing eye to eye with Care, Elena walked up to the blonde, who was clapping her hands from excitement paired with the biggest smile she had ever seen on her face, and threw an arm around her shoulder. 

"Well then, lets go rent ourselves a scooter." 

* * *

As Caroline was looking at the model Vespas placed in the store and Elena was discussing the details with the manager, they heard a bell ring as someone entered the shop. 

"Fancy seeing you here." 

Instantly recognizing who's voice it was, Elena turned around. 

"Damon, hey," she said smilingly, tucking her hair behind her ear, "what are you doing here?" 

"I'm interested in renting a Vespa," Damon smirked as he looked around the shop, "didn't know they came with a beautiful lady." He playfully cocked an eyebrow as he locked eyes with Elena. 

Skeptical about his words, but somewhat flattered, she tilted her head slightly to the side while raising an eyebrow and letting the corner of her mouth curl upwards. 

"I saw you walk in here and figured I'd ask for your phone number, I didn't quite catch it last time." 

"What makes you so sure you'll catch it this time?" Elena teased. 

"Have you seen me?" Damon's hands motioned to his chest as he took a step closer towards Elena. 

"Cocky much?" Caroline shouted upon overhearing Damon's overly confident statement, causing Elena to chuckle under her breath. 

"Very much." Damon said, putting emphasis on the word 'very', his trademark smirk still marked on his face, never breaking eyecontact with Elena. "You and I are going out tonight. Text me your address, I'm picking you up at nine." 

She hesitated a second before grabbing her phone out of her pocket, giving Damon a confused stare as he gently took the device out of her hands and added himself to her contact list, winking at her as he handed it back over.  
She raised her eyebrows at the screen as she noticed under what name he added himself. 'Handsome'. She laughingly shook her head, he really was too cocky for his own good. 

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a brother I have to go see. Nine o'clock, be ready." 

* * *

**Stefan Salvatore's Apartment  
**

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" Stefan let out a deep sigh out of irritation upon hearing Damon enter his apartment. 

"If you wanted me to knock, you shouldn't have given me a key to your apartment." Damon smirked, catching the key in mid-air as he playfully threw it upwards. 

"Hello, Damon." 

Recognizing the voice, Damon frowned before forming an insincere smile on his face. 

"Katerina." 

Ever since Stefan first introduced her, he hated her guts. The vibe she gave off was simply unpleasant. When he actually got to know her, it became clear why she always brought his mood down. The sheer arrogance of this girl made you want to set yourself on fire.

He made his way to the mini bar and poured himself a bourbon as he watched how Katerina clung to Stefan as if she was a small child who was desperately craving attention. It was the most pathetic thing he had ever seen. No, she was the most pathetic person he had ever met. 

"I hate to interrupt whatever it is you're doing here, but I need to talk to Stefan." Damon said, his eyes glazing over to meet hers, "Alone." 

The look resting on Katerina's face was disapproving. She hesitated for a second before getting up, deciding dealing with Damon wasn't something she was in the mood for.  
"Call me when you're done." She quickly pecked Stefan on the lips and grabbed her stuff, narrowing her eyes to show Damon her annoyance as she walked past him to the front door. 

"Well she's always little miss sunshine, isn't she?" Damon smirked after hearing Stefan's girlfriend slam the door shut a little too hard. 

"What is it, Damon?" his brother asked.

"We've got a problem," he began, slowly walking towards the couch Stefan was sitting on, "guess who's back and not too happy about your decision to leave."

Stefan tilted his head down slightly, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if to ease a terrible headache, "Father." he said in a hushed tone.

When Giuseppe Salvatore left for Sicily for business, Stefan knew that once they got involved with the Sicilian mafia, he had to walk away from it. The Salvatore's had a reputation, but they were nowhere near as frightening as those guys.

"He wants you to join the business again. And by that he means, you either come back, or you pay the price for leaving." Damon said, staring blankly at his brother, "I suggest you get the hell out of dodge." 

* * *

**Trevi Fountain, Rome  
**

After having met up with the Lockwoods, they arrived at the famous Trevi Fountain, where the group meeting would take place.  
Going through her bag, Elena took out her wallet and grabbed two coins, one for her, and one for Caroline. 

She took her friend's hand and placed the coin in it, "Here, make a wish."

"You do know that it's not coming true, right?" Mason remarked, laughing at the two girls as they turned their back to the fountain, closed their eyes, and threw the coins over their shoulder.

"Don't be a dick, man." his nephew said.

"Yeah, Mason, don't be a dick!" Caroline repeated, taking a sip from her water bottle.

Elena sat down on the edge of the fountain and started writing in her journal which she always carried around with her. She'd mainly write about her day, and occasionally she'd write poetry, often ripping out the page and throwing it away because she thought it was horribly written. At least, that's what she told herself. She knew it was because it made her feel terrible about her past, that being the topic of most of her poetry, however she didn't want to admit that to herself.

"What are you writing there?" Mason asked as he sat down next to Elena.

"Stuff." she answered him, her eyes fixated on the sentence she was writing before she got interrupted.

Not liking her vague answer, he moved closer towards her and tried to peek at the journal. Detecting what he was doing from the corner of her eye, she nervously started clicking her pen and held the cover of the book up with the purpose of hiding it from him.

"What kind of stuff?"

"Just stuff. It's kind of personal, okay?" Elena averted, trying her best to conceal her annoyance with a half smile as she looked at him.

Her writing was something she did not like to discuss, it made her feel uncomfortable whenever someone noticed her as she was writing and started asking questions about it. Finding herself once again in this situation, she decided to close her journal and put it back into her bag.

Taking notice of her annoyance, Mason took her chin in his hand and told her it was all right and that she could tell him, looking her straight in the eye. Elena flinched back as he came closer, her rejection leaving Mason offended.

"Why be so nice to me at first if you're going to reject me later?"

The shocked expression on Elena's face quickly turned into disgust, she couldn't believe she just heard those words coming out of his mouth. Squinting her eyes and raising her hand at him defensively, she raised her voice to him.  
"Just because I'm being nice to you doesn't mean I owe you anything, jerk."

"Okay, look," Mason said, letting out a deep sigh, "you're hot, and I like you. So, go out with me tonight."

Becoming more fed up by his words, Elena rolled her eyes and got up, grabbing her bag and hasting back to Caroline and Tyler, who were laughing and appearing to have a good time together. Determined to go out with this girl, Mason followed behind her. He tried grabbing her arm, causing Elena to fasten her pace.

"Hey, Elena!" Caroline called out, motioning her friend to come sit next to her.

"So," she began as she detected her friend's discomfort, "since you're leaving me for _Damon_ tonight, Tyler and I decided to make plans as well!"

Elena's face lit up with a soft smile when her friend winked at her as a sign of letting her know that she knew Elena wasn't too pleased about Mason making his move. Caroline was excellent at picking up when exactly someone felt uncomfortable, and she always knew exactly what to say. It never failed to work, the blonde proved herself yet again as Elena caught a glimpse of Mason's flusteredness. _Thank you_, she mouthed.

"Hey guys," Tyler said upon noticing a large group of people, "I think the rest of the group's here."

* * *

**Forbes & Gilbert residence, 8 hours later**

_Shit, shit shit! _Elena thought as she heard the doorbell ring. Damon was early, it was only half past eight and she was nowhere near ready.

"Care!" she shouted as she quickly put on her black lace dress she had laid out on the bed.

Cursing him under her breath for being so early, she grabbed her shoes and went to look into the mirror to do some quick touch ups. It felt as if her heart could explode out of her chest, she hadn't felt this nervous in a long time._ Is this a date? _She asked herself. _Of course it is, what else would it be? _

"Damon! Come in."

"Evening, Blondie," he said as he stepped across the threshold, looking around at their apartment before looking back at Caroline, "are you joining us tonight?"

"Oh god no! I have a date myself," Caroline stated upon noticing him checking out her perfectly dressed up self, "she'll be done in a minute."

Damon smiled at the girl and patiently waited for his date, or whatever he was supposed to call her, to come out and play. He wanted her. Simple as that. No attachments, he reminded himself. His brother, even though a pain in the ass, was the only person worthy of his emotions right now.

It didn't help that Elena looked absolutely breathtaking as she entered the hallway to greet him, leaving his body frozen as he stared at her while she looked up through her lashes, smiling at an awed Damon.

_Snap out of it._

"Ciao, bellezza," Damon's mouth curled into its trademark smirk, "are you ready to go?" 

* * *

AN: I originally promised myself to make this chapter into a long chapter, but I felt like this was a good way to end it, hopefully it'll leave you guys wondering how the date went :)  
So, the second half of this chapter will be chapter 4 and hopefully I'll get to finish and upload it by the end of next week!  
Thank you so much for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Reading them makes me want to get everything up faster for you guys!  
Also, I used Katerina/Katherine as Stefan's girlfriend because I have a few plans for this storyline, and her original name would sound more believable for an Italian lady than Katherine. She also is not Elena's doppelganger!

(Also can we all agree on what a dick Mason is?)


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing. 

* * *

"Hop on back."

_Of course he has a motorcycle. Could he be any more attractive? _Elena thought to herself. He wasn't the type of guy she'd normally go for, Damon had a huge ego, but he was charming. Besides that, the vibe he gave off almost screamed danger, an aspect she tried to stay away from her entire life, but now she found herself longing for a little danger in her life, and now that she was spending her time in a foreign country, it seemed like the perfect timing to go and explore her wild side.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she accepted the helmet Damon handed her.

"You'll find out." he said, smiling smugly at his date.

Riding through the city of Rome at an insane speed, Elena made sure to hold onto Damon tightly. The traffic in this country was ridiculous, nobody seemed to care about the rules and simply did as they desired. When she and Caroline rode their scooter this afternoon they almost got run over at least six times, but she felt safe with Damon because this city was his home, he knew exactly what to do and what not to do, he knew the back alleys were safer than the main roads even though they were incredibly narrow, especially for a motorcycle, and when they had no choice but to stick to the main roads, he managed to zig zag his way through the excessive amount of cars, scooters, cyclists and pedestrians perfectly.

Not having a clue of where they could be, Elena looked around as they slowed down, the loud noise of the city life became more faded as they were riding through a more quiet part of town.  
A few minutes later the motorcycle came to a stop, and all Elena could see when stepping off was an empty grass field beside the river with a view of the city in the distance, and a sky filled with bright stars as she looked up. This wasn't even close to what she had imagined.

"I take it you like it?" Damon said after he took off his helmet and placed it by his bike, "At first I just wanted to take you out for drinks, but seeing as we've already done that, I thought why not take the drinks with us so we can enjoy them somewhere more private."

"This is.. Wow. I've never been on a date like this before."

"That's because you've never been on a date with me before."

Damon cocked an eyebrow at Elena as he grabbed a bottle of white wine and placed two wineglasses between his fingers.

Studying Damon was something Elena enjoyed doing, there was a certain kind of mystery surrounding him which intrigued her greatly. The way he popped the wine bottle and poured the liquid into her glass as he glimpsed at her, made her wonder why things as simple as these left her mesmerized.

"So, why Italy?"

Breaking free from her mesmerization, she explained how at first it was Caroline's idea, how to her it seemed like the perfect place for shopping and how it was supposed to be crawling with beautiful Italian guys, but to Elena it was the perfect place to explore, learn about the culture, let loose, and have a chance at a fresh start. She wanted adventure, and she convinced herself she would find it in Italy.

Damon, who was lying down, his body supported by his elbow leaning on the ground, took a sip of his wine and observed the girl sitting next to him as she was making a daisy chain.

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place." he said, looking up through his lashes, locking eyes with Elena.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" she said smilingly as she fiddled with the flowers, her eyes fixated on Damon.

One side of his mouth curled upwards as he raised his eyebrows, "Spend more time with me, and you'll have the adventure of a lifetime."

This wasn't as he expected, or rather, _she_ wasn't as he expected. Elena Gilbert was entirely something else. How could this girl have such effect on him so soon, or at all? How was it possible that ever since the first time he laid eyes on her he couldn't shake her? What was it about her that made him so confused? He wanted to get to know her, but he also kept refusing himself from doing that.

_Fuck it. Just fuck it. _

Those words kept repeating themselves in his head while he was staring down at Elena's lips. He allowed his hand to move towards her face and stroke her cheek softly with his fingers, and before she could say something he leaned in and kissed her.

For a second, Elena stopped breathing as she felt his soft lips caressing hers. Thousands of thoughts were racing through her mind as a tingly sensation rushed through her stomach. The scent of leather, wine, and a soft touch of Armani cologne entered her airways when she let herself turn off her thoughts to breathe in and engage in the kiss.

Her hands were moving to the back of his neck as he playfully bit her lower lip and placed gentle kisses on her chin and jawline while making his way to her neck. Her fingers were now entangled in Damon's hair, making him gasp as his lips found their way back to hers. He ran his hands down her back and her sides, grabbing her hips to pull her closer to him, causing Elena's heart to beat even faster.

The sweet kiss they started out with became increasingly more passionate now that she was sitting in Damon's lap. Except for the breathing that got heavier by the second, and the occasional soft moans that left their mouths, their surroundings were completely quiet.  
Damon's hands started to caress her upper legs as he placed kisses on her chest, she felt his fingers slowly pushing her dress up as they worked their way towards her inner thighs.

_Is this really happening? Oh god, no, not now, not yet._

Placing her hands on Damon's to move them away caused him to confusedly look up at her and ask if everything was all right. While assuring him she was fine, but she didn't want to take it further than this yet, she planted a soft kiss on his lips and locked her hands back around his neck.

"You are a mystery," Damon said in a husky voice, brushing back the few strands of hair dangling in front of Elena's face as he stared into her doe eyes, "one I would just _love_ to unravel."

"I'm not a mystery," Elena giggled, "you are, you proved that at the bar last week. Did you get into a fight or something?"

"It was nothing, just.."

Damon paused and turned his head away from Elena when the sound of a car approaching them could be heard.

"..business."

As it came to a stop, two guys exited the vehicle, one of them loudly yelling Damon's last name, his tone of voice not sounding particularly friendly.

"Stay here." he whispered as Elena moved from his lap. Before approaching the two strangers, he walked up to his bag, which was laying beside his motorcycle, to grab something located inside of it.

Confused as to what was going on, Elena tried to listen in on the conversation the three, or well, two of them were having, but with no success, she couldn't understand a thing they were saying, however from the way they were communicating, she could tell it wasn't pretty.

"You fucked with the wrong guys, Salvatore." the stranger warned, taking a step closer towards Damon.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure it's _you_ who's fucking with the wrong guy here, so why don't you and your little friend there get back in your car and leave, I _really_ don't feel like ruining my new jacket." Damon said, smiling satirically at the guy standing approximately 10 feet opposite of him.

"You beat up my cousin, you gotta pay."

Damon was actually surprised upon hearing someone say something like that to him, nobody talked to a Salvatore in such way, they knew better than to do that. This guy was either incredibly courageous or embarassingly clueless, either way, both possibilities caused Damon to burst out in laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me, the kid I beat up at the bar last week, that's your cousin? He owes me two grand, should've just paid me when he got the job done. Your family name may sound scary to some, but you're talking to a Salvatore here, friend. He's lucky he's still alive."

"You think I'm scared of you? Touch him again and I'll kill you and your pretty lady there myself." the guy threatened as he slowly moved closer to Damon, who was now reaching for his gun tucked behind the back of his black jeans.

"See this?" Damon said as he raised the weapon, steadily aiming at the target in front of him, "I don't get my money by the end of this week, I'll make sure the last thing you and your cousin remember is this little guy putting a bullet _right.. between.. your eyes_."

"Tony, he's got a gun man, lets leave it." the guy still standing beside the car was motioning at his friend.

"You and I, we're not done yet."

Wearing a malicious smile on his face and laughing under his breath, he gradually lowered his gun as Tony walked back to the car. Until the car engine started and they drove away, Damon stood there watching them as they left.

The goosebumps on Elena's skin and her quivering legs gave away how shaken up she was, she had to pinch herself to see if she might have been dreaming, which she hoped she was, but this was all real.

The lump starting to form in her throat made her voice sound trembling. "What the hell was that?!" she shouted, shoulders hunched and arms crossed, as if to protect herself from whatever Damon could do to her. This guy just pointed a gun at someone. She didn't know him, she couldn't possibly know what his intentions were.

Now standing right in front of Elena, he reached out his hand to brush her chin with his thumb, but as her hand lashed out at him, giving him a painful slap in the face, he immediately withdrew it.

"Don't.. touch me." she averted.

"I guess I deserved that," Damon said, letting out a deep sigh before continuing, "look, I didn't mean for this to happen. Are you all right?"

"I don't know what this business of yours is, but you just pointed a gun at someone. _A freaking gun. _Were you going to use that on me? Why the hell would you carry a gun with you on a date?!"

_Shit, Elena, you really know how to pick 'em. _

"Hey, hey," Damon spoke softly as he carefully placed his hands on the shaking girl's shoulders, her eyes were watery and her breaths short, "look at me, please."

Breathing in deeply, she slowly lifted her head up and looked him right in the eyes, surprised to see a worried expression on his face. She swallowed as she felt his hands lift from her shoulders to cup her face tenderly.

"I'm a dangerous guy, Elena, and I wouldn't care if you got involved in this mess if you were just some regular girl, but _fuck_, you're something else," he paused for a moment while letting go of Elena, his eyes glistening as they fixated on hers, "I'm sorry."

Breaking the eye contact, Elena glared down at his mouth, her bottom lip quivering. Without even hesitating, she kissed him. In response, Damon's hand reached up and tangled into her hair as he felt her lips melt into his. Tilting her head more to deepen the kiss, she felt his tongue tracing the contour of her lips, parting them to let him in. Her hands were stroking his face as their mouths moved in concord, Damon slid his hold around her body, pulling her closer to him as a rush of heat flowed through Elena causing her pulse to elevate and cling onto him.

"Let me," Damon said as he breathed in between kisses, "protect you."

As Elena tried to mumble something that resembled the word 'what', Damon broke the kiss, leaving her feeling empty somehow. She opened her eyes and looked at him while he explained why it wasn't safe for her if he wouldn't be around to protect her.

"These guys know what you look like, and now that they've seen you with me, they'll do anything in their power to get to you."

Elena's eyes narrowed, "How do you know they will come after me?"

"Because the same thing happened to my brother's girlfriend." 

* * *

AN: Sorry this took so long to publish. It was a hard chapter for me to write (lots of dialogue wow!) and I've been busy with other things as well, but I finally finished it today and couldn't wait to upload it, I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter.  
Thanks so much everyone for your support, it means a lot to me that there are people out there who like reading my story.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing. 

* * *

_"I'm not telling you shit!" Katerina exclaimed as she was trying to cut the tight rope they had tied her hands with using a small nail file, an object she carried around with her all the time, proving herself right yet again that having one on you always comes in handy._

_"Oh, but you will." the guy in the room with her said, laughing maliciously at Katerina as he put his hands on the table standing between them to lean on it. This man was large -significantly larger than Katerina-, medium build, and had his arm covered in tattoos. He stopped laughing when he felt a wet substance land on his face, "Vaffanculo!" he heard Katerina yell._

_"Did you just spit on me? Huh? You're gonna regret that, you fucking cunt!"_

_Katerina jumped a little and started working faster on getting the rope cut when he violently moved the table out of the way and stepped closer towards her. He balled his fist and punched her right on the nose, the hit causing her to roar in pain. Luckily for her, she had been through worse, and she didn't mind the metallic taste of her blood running down her lips. Her nose had been broken once before, and even though receiving a punch on it still hurts as fuck, it takes a lot more than that to get Kat to talk. _

_If this had happened before she was in a committed relationship with Stefan Salvatore, she had happily given him up to save herself. It was what she had always done, survive. Things changed after she met him, though she was still as self righteous as she had ever been, when it came to Stefan, there was nothing she wouldn't do._

_Swinging his arm back for another blow, this time using more force, the punch landed on her jaw, causing little drops of blood to splatter in the air. As she let her head hang down and she looked at her white shirt, which had now turned into a white shirt with a blood splatter design, she groaned in anger. _

_"You.. ruined.. my shirt!"_

_The last strings of rope were cut, and she immediately jumped up to attack the large man. Having the advantage because he had his back turned for a short moment, she jumped him and started lashing out on him. After repeatedly punching him in the face as he struggled to fight back, she pulled his head down, gave him a knee to the face and grabbed the gun he had tucked in the back of his pants. _

_He may have been a lot bigger than her, but if there was one thing you shouldn't do, it was piss Katerina Petrova off, a black belt in Taekwondo will beat size any time._

_Some of the blood on her face was swept away by the back of her hand and after shaking it off, she cocked the gun and aimed it at the guy who was now kneeling on the ground, firmly holding the handle with both hands, her index finger resting on the trigger. _

_"You messed with the wrong girl, sweetie."_

_Still on the ground, he slowly started lifting himself up, probably hoping he could use the element of surprise on her, but he couldn't be more wrong. Upon noticing movement, Katerina aimed at his knee and pulled the trigger. The guy screamed out in agony as he felt the bullet struck his knee and reached for the body part to cover up the wound with his hands in an attempt to stop the bleeding._

_"If you and your family ever come after me or Stefan again, I won't be aiming for your fucking knee."  
_

* * *

When Elena dreamed of Italy, things such as exploring the country and meeting new people was what she had imagined to do, the mess she just found herself in hadn't even crossed her mind. The fact that she wouldn't be able to go out by herself anymore because there was the possibility of her being kidnapped simply because she hung out with Damon Salvatore scared the shit out of her. Still completely clueless of who exactly he was and what he did, scared her even more. The phrase _'be careful what you wish for' _suddenly became a hell of a lot clearer when for once her wish of living an adventurous life was fulfilled. Fucking figures.

"No way, Elena," Damon responded to Elena asking what happened, "you do not want to get involved in this mess. Trust me, it isn't pretty."

"Well, it's too late for that, Damon, I already _am_ involved," Elena argued, "and if you're going to be by my side every time I go out from now on, I deserve to know what exactly _you_ got me into!"

_Fucking hell, Damon, why did you have to take this one out on a date? Why couldn't you just fuck her and move on to the next one? Why does she have to have these beautiful bambi eyes that glisten in the moonlight and why does her hair have to smell like you're lying on the beach with a coconut infused cocktail in your hand while the sunrays wash over you?_

Waiting for an answer, Elena impatiently started tapping her foot on the ground, her brow furrowed and arms crossed. He just stood there, looking at her, asking himself why she kissed him just a minute ago instead of running as far away from him as possible. He scrubbed his face as he tried to find the right words to explain to her how drastically her life was about to change, merely because she had met him.

For a moment Damon was contemplating on whether he should tell her the truth or come up with a good lie. The possibility of her going to the cops made him want to lie because he didn't want to deal with them again, not because he'd get thrown in jail, but because ever since the first time the police showed up at his doorstep and took his bribe, their requests started getting higher every time someone mentioned the Salvatores to them. There was no way he was going to give them more money, he worked hard enough as it is.

Though something told him that, after seeing what she just saw and quite possibly having a hunch of what she's dealing with, she'd be smarter than to go run off to the cops. So, he decided on telling her what happened to Katerina, and why it happened to her.

"So, they took her, because Stefan messed up the deal? What deal?" Elena asked, squinting her eyes.

"He was supposed to deliver them 10 kilograms in coke. Showed up with 7. Ran like a bitch."

Unable to move, as if her body was struck by lightning and left her paralyzed, she stood there with her hand covering her mouth. And what Damon just told her barely scratched the surface. The blank expression on his face shocked her the most, because it seemed as if he had seen it happen so often, it didn't even faze him anymore.

"Elena?"

Her eyes started watering again once she realized that there was a 99% chance of what had happened to Katerina was going to happen to her as well.

"Did-.. Did they go after them again?" she asked, barely able to speak because her voice was trembling so heavily.

"They never got the chance to."

"W-what do you mean?"

"As soon as Stefan told me what had happened, I wanted to go after them. Of course, my brother doesn't like when I get all bloodthirsty so he told me to leave it and he'd take care of it when he had to."

"But you didn't listen."

"Of course not," Damon chuckled, "but he doesn't know that."

He never told him because he knew that if he did, he'd lose him forever. Stefan was the only one in the family who had been a friend to Damon, his father was merely his boss and his cousins were his coworkers, and despite having their fair share of fights, some of which ending up in not talking to each other for extended periods of time, they were there for each other when there was trouble.

Never being particularly fond of the Salvatore family business, Stefan tried to take jobs only when absolutely necessary, or if it involved Damon. He was a smart kid, since going to college was never an option if you were born a Salvatore, he had set most of the money he had earned from working aside until he saw a chance to leave, the day Giuseppe Salvatore would get their family into something so royally fucked he would be able to say _this is the final straw_, so he could live his life as he wished to live it. That day came when their father announced he was leaving for Sicily.

Great, now this girl knew that the guy she went out on a date with had killed people before and ran some kind of business which involved selling drugs for a living. What he had told her was just the tip of the iceberg, though, and he figured it was probably best to not tell her about the fact that the Salvatores ran one of the biggest drug cartels in all of Italy. She had heard enough for one day and he didn't want to have her imagine the rest of her time here looking like a scene from The Godfather mixed with a hint of Pulp Fiction. Because that was exactly what would happen if Damon didn't stay as far away from her as possible, but now that she was on someone's hitlist, staying away wasn't an option. Elena came to Italy to experience the lifestyle of a foreign culture and to go to school because she was tired of living her life in the always exciting little town of Mystic Falls, and she would have been able to do that in peace if he wasn't such a fucking douchebag who couldn't keep his dick in control. Fuck.

"You.. _killed_ them?"

The amount of shock this girl has gone through in just one night made Damon feel an emotion he had only felt once before, the last time he got into a fight with Stefan when he decided to leave, because his selfish ass was jealous of him being able to live a life of his own, no fucking family business crap, a nice place to live, a well paying job, and a girlfriend who loved him despite her being a raging bitch, and even though he didn't like her, at all, he wished there was someone who loved him the way she loved Stefan. The fight that ended up in the two of them having no contact, whatsoever, for almost two years. The fight that was so fucking stupid to even begin with. He felt guilty. Guilty because he was the one that got her into this and all he could do for her now was make sure she got home safely and hope that she wouldn't hate him for all eternity, because he actually liked this girl.

"How am I supposed to believe you're going to protect me if you're a killer? Why in the world would I trust you?"

"Because," Damon said, tilting his head slightly and lifting his hand to Elena's face to wipe away a tear resting on her cheek using his thumb, the gesture causing her to gasp, "you'll end up dead if you don't. Lets get you home." 

* * *

**Forbes & Gilbert residence, 1.30 AM  
**

Caroline stormed down the hallway as soon as she heard the front door open, a huge smile forming across her face because the fact that she came home pretty late must have meant the date went well, so she thought. That smile disappeared when she saw her friend's makeup had been smudged from crying.

"Oh my God, Elena, are you all right?" she asked, running up to her friend and throwing her arms around her as Elena lay her head on Caroline's shoulder, unable to hold back the tears.

"What happened?! Do you need me to go chase after Damon to whoop his ass? What the fuck did he do?!"

"No.. Care, that's not necessary." Elena said, her breaths short and voice shaking.

After she caught her breath and calmed down a little, Elena sat Caroline down to explain everything, not leaving any details out, even though she wasn't supposed to say anything. But fuck that, Caroline was her friend and there was no way she was going to lie to her about this.

Needless to say, this wasn't what Caroline expected to hear. She figured Damon might have been a jerk to her friend or made her do something she didn't want to, but him being a drug dealing psychopath who killed people had never even crossed her mind. She was so hung up on the fact that something could happen to Elena, she forgot that because she was her friend, she was in danger as well.

"Hey, we'll get through this. Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? I don't care who it is, if they want to lay a finger on you, they will have to go through me first."

At first glance you wouldn't think of Caroline as someone who would throw punches, well, except for when it comes to someone doing something that would result in them ruining her shoes, but underneath all of that goodness rests a girl who doesn't take your shit and fucks you up if she has to. 

* * *

**Stefan Salvatore's apartment  
**

Unlocking the door to his brother's apartment and seeing him sitting on the couch playing video games as he entered the place, Damon started yelling at him for still being here.

"What the fuck are you still doing here?! Do you _want_ to die?!"

No reaction.

"Stefan!" he yelled as he walked up to his brother, yanking the controller out of his hand and throwing it across the room.

"What the fuck, Damon?"

Fucking great, he's drunk, which meant there was a zero percent chance Damon would be able to have a normal conversation with him. But that didn't stop him from trying. He grabbed the bottle of bourbon sitting on the salon table in front of the couch and took a large jug from it before putting it back and making an attempt to talk to his brother.

He cleared his throat and counted to ten before he gave Stefan a whip to his head with his hand, "Why are you still here?" he asked, his voice low and his teeth clenched.

Stefan turned his head so that he was now facing his brother and sighed deeply, "Because, Damon," he said, "I don't want to go."

Was he a fucking idiot?

"Father stopped by today," Stefan continued, the look on Damon's face turning from angry to confused, because if he did visit, how the fuck was he still alive? "he was in a good mood. Told me I could stay. No need to get back into fucking business and shit. Something about him forming an ally with those Sicilians he went to see. 'S all good, brother."

"Well that is just fantastic news, Stefan." Damon said sarcastically.

Nothing about what he just heard sounded good to him, their father wouldn't just let him go. He wasn't a compassionate man, all he cared about was money and making sure his family worked for him so he could get that money.

Damon rolled his eyes upon seeing that idiotic drunk smile planted on Stefan's face. _For fucks sake_, he thought, grabbing the bottle once more.

"Where's Kat? I need to speak to her."

"Out, or something. Why?"

It was hard for Damon to admit that he needed her help, considering he hated the bitch's guts, but she was also the only one he knew who could train the girls so they could at least defend themselves _if_ something were to happen when he wasn't around.

"Tell her to call me when she gets back."

One thing left to take care of, he jerked his chin at his brother in goodbye and headed out the front door, taking his phone out of his pocket and started dialing. 

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Ric."

_"Damon, it's been two years. What do you want?"_

"I need a favor."

_"What is it?"_

"Do you still teach at that university?"

_"Why? You finally decided to go do something with your life?"_

"Two American girls will be attending this year, I need you to keep an eye on them for me. One blonde, one brunette. They go by Caroline Forbes and Elena Gilbert."

_"What did you do this time?"_

"Just make sure they're safe." 

* * *

**AN: Chapter 5! It's up early! I was originally going to publish it a week after chapter 4, but I got excited because I had finished it sooner than I expected! **  
**Thank you so much as always for the reviews, favourites and follows, keep them coming!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it, the flashback was something that I had in mind ever since I started the story so I was happy I found a good place to add it in. **

**Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon! Thanks for reading and for sticking with me!**


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